Night of the Full Moon Read Free Page A

“No
chimokman.
You Indian today,” she said, and laughed.

    “What’s a
chimokman
?” I asked Fawn.
    “That’s what we call people who are not Indians,” she said. “Come, it is time for the food.”
    The women were putting out wooden bowls of cornmeal porridge swimming in maple syrup. There was fried fish and freshly roasted venison. There was some other meat. I hoped it was not dog.
    The drums and dancing had stopped. “Where is your brother?” I asked Fawn.
    “He is with my father and the other men from the clan.” She pointed to where the men and young boys were gathered in a circle. “They are giving him his name. He is to be called Megisi. That means ‘bald eagle.’ It is a fine name because we are of the Eagle clan. The bald eagle is the largest of all eagles.”
    Suddenly, as though a great wind were blowing, the gathering of men and boys began to scatter. They ran first one way and then another. I thought it must be part of the ceremony until I heard Menisikwe and the other women cry out. Something in thewoods was frightening them. Then I saw what it was. Mounted soldiers. They were riding into the camp.
    They began to shout at the Indians. One of the soldiers shot his rifle into the air. Some of the Indians ran toward the woods, but the soldiers rode after them to bring them back. They were like the shepherd dogs in Virginia that ran barking and snarling at the sheep to herd them together.
    I grabbed Fawn’s hand. “What’s happening?” I whispered, too frightened to speak aloud.
    “It is what your father warned us of. They have come to take us away.” Tears welled up in her eyes. That frightened me more than anything, for I had never seen Fawn cry. I began to cry, too. Desperately I looked around for Papa to help us. Then I realized how foolish I was. Papa was back home and didn’t even know I was here.
    One of the soldiers spoke Potawatomi. He shouted orders to the Indians. “What is he saying?” I whispered.
    Fawn’s voice trembled. “Our people willbe sent far away to live. They are taking us to join other clans of the People.” Fawn caught her breath. “He says we must go at once to our wigwams to gather up whatever we wish to take with us. The men will be allowed to ride their ponies. They have brought a wagon for the women and children.”
    The sound of the women moaning and crying was terrible to hear. The men were shouting angry words at the soldiers. Fawn whispered, “Our men ask, ‘What will happen to our cornfields and our sacred burial place?’ ”
    Suddenly one of the Indian men ran at a soldier. I saw the flash of a knife in his hand. At once two soldiers were on him, wrestling him to the ground and tying him up.
    Seeing the man bound by the soldiers, the other Indians seemed to lose heart. One by one the families turned slowly toward their wigwams. In Fawn’s wigwam Menisikwe strapped Megisi to her back. She gathered up the baskets and the wooden bowls. Shetook her most precious possession, an iron kettle. Sanatuwa took his bow and arrows and his fishhooks. He took his flints and tinder so that he could make a fire.
    We were about to leave the wigwam when Sanatuwa looked up. For the first time he noticed me. When he recognized me, he groaned.
    The next moment he was pulling me after him toward the soldiers. When we reached a soldier on horseback, Sanatuwa called to him in English, “This girl is not of our clan. She is a white girl. She belongs to settlers who live near us. You must return her to her mother and father.”
    The soldier looked down at Sanatuwa. He seemed to be suspicious at finding an Indian who spoke English so well. He said, “If she’s a white girl, why is she dressed in Indian clothes? What is she doing here with you?”
    “I’m
not
an Indian,” I insisted. I forgot how only an hour before I was longing to be one. “My name is Libby Mitchell.” The soldier was not paying attention. He waswatching two Indians who had rifles slung over their